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Accused Frisco Mom Fights For Personal Items

Pallavi Dhawan was arrested for the murder of her 10-year-old son (credit: Frisco Police Department)

MCKINNEY (CBSDFW.COM) – The Frisco mother accused of killing her son and leaving his body in the bathtub was in court on Wednesday in McKinney. Her attorney demanded that police return personal possessions to the family.

Pallavi Dhawan was arrested by the Frisco Police Department and charged with first-degree murder after authorities found the 10-year-old boy’s body on January 29 of this year. He had been wrapped in cloth and placed in a dry bathtub with ice packs. The Collin County Medical Examiner said that the child died of undetermined causes, natural disease most likely.

Dhawan and her husband were both in court with their defense attorney on Wednesday, asking the judge to return items that are not considered to be evidence in the case. The judge ordered the Frisco Police Department and the prosecutor to do that by 5:00 p.m. on Friday.

The defendant in this case did not say a word in court on Wednesday, but her husband was very emotional when he spoke after the hearing. “It’s Arnav’s family pictures,” Sumeet Dhawan said, describing some of his son’s belongings that his family wants back. “They have his school bag, his journals, all personal stuff. Why can’t you get those things back? That’s all we’re asking.”

Defense attorney David Finn agreed that some items — like a fax machine and passports — could be considered evidence. But some of the things, he stated, should be returned. “Extremely frustrated. I’ve been a state prosecutor, a federal prosecutor, a defense attorney,” Finn explained. “I’ve never seen more stonewalling and a lack of professionalism on law enforcement in my entire career.”

Finn also said that Dhawan did not kill her son. He wants the case to go to the Collin County grand jury.